Paul Walker Books

As a Vietnam combat vet I cannot be objective about this book. As I read it, I couldn't help comparing it to my own experiences of re-integrating into civilian life following my service. As I read The Bonus Army I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the sacrifices these men and their families made, not just in war, but in the aftermath.

Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen set out to chronicle an event, but wound up giving us a look at how politicians deal with the pesky problem of what to do with returning veterans. One of the most shocking aspects of The Bonus Army is how quickly the same men who cheered from the grandstands as these soldiers went off to war in 1918 now wanted them washed away and forgotten.

As an American war veteran I am grateful to Dickson and Allen for writing this book. It should be read by every returning Global War On Terror (GWOT) vet. Like freedom itself, when it comes to holding government to their promises after the trumpets fade, you only get what you are willing to fight for.

I knew little about the Bonus Army, other than Patton's role in breaking up their camp in Anacostia. Little, indeed. This book brings to life a rich period of U.S. history where the nation--or parts of the nation--came together in a period of economic desperation. There are a few villians, but far more unexpected heroes of high and low station determined to see fellow American treated with dignity and respect. This is truly a wonderful read that places the veterans in the Bonus Army in the same tradition as those who kept our republic alive at Valley Forge.

In the Prologue, the authors state victorious war veterans have long vexed politicians noting that "Early in the Revolutionary war, the Continental Congress provided for both disabled veterans and the dependents of soldiers killed in battle" and that "The last surviving dependent of the Revolutionary war continued to receive benefits until 1911." The authors write "By1932, the amount paid to Civil War (Union) veterans and their survivors amounted to twice the cost of the war." After World War I, in 1924 Congress passed a law that granted the WWI veterans a bonus. However, payment of the bonus was constantly delayed. The end result was the WWI veterans formed a bonus army that marched to Washington D.C. in 1932 to lobby for the bonus. Historians have given only passing references to the bonus marches, however their significance was great and their influence continues to today.

The first half of the text gives an excellent account of the 1932 bonus march. They called themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF), and they traveled in freight cars, state trucks, private autos, motorcycles and some even walked. They began arriving in June 1932, and upon arrival in Washington they were politically supported by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars as well many members of Congress, principally Wright Patman. Fortunately, in 1932 the Washington Police Chief, Pelham Glassford, was a competent and fair chief who looked to the welfare of the bonus marchers. The BEF Commander-in-Chief was Walter Walters who was also competent, and was able to exercise control of the BEF that could have become a vicious mob. The major issue was by law the bonus couldn't be paid until 1945. However, by 1932 the nation was mired in the Great Depression, and many veterans desperately needed the bonus. However, the bonus exceeded the income of the government so both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt vetoed early payment of the bonus.

The military erroneously thought the 1932 bonus veterans consisted of ex-criminals, radicals and non-servicemen and; were controlled by communists. However,Walter Waters bitterly opposed the communists. The BEF and splinter groups were encamped in Washington in vacant buildings plus 15,000 veterans and about 1,100 wives and children were camped in tents and shacks at Anacostia. Most interesting was the fact that at Anacostia and in the other camps, the color line didn't exist. The text contains several interesting personal stories. After the veterans made several attempts to secure payment of their bonus, Police Chief Glassford was told that beginning July 22 and completed by August 4, the bonus veterans had to be out of their camps; the Army now had control of the bonus armies. The army burned camp Anacostia and used tanks, bayonets and tear gas to expel the vets and their families from Washington. Two civilian casualties were attributed to Army eviction activities.

The text next covers two subsequent bonus marches on Washington in 1933 and 1934. In order to keep veterans from camping in Washington, the administration set up work camps for veterans in South Carolina and Florida. The hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on Labor Day 1935;was devastating and especially hard on the veterans in work camps on the Florida Keys. 259 veterans lost their lives. U.S. Government officials tried to cover-up the government's failure to take proper measurers to prevent lost of life maintaining it was due to "an act of God." Most interesting Ernest Hemmingway who lived on Key West wrote an excellent critique of the government's failure to take proper actions to evacuate the keys and avoid injuries and lost of life. The text provides an interesting account of this sad affair.

On January 27, 1936, Roosevelt's veto of a new bonus bill was overridden and the cash bonus finally became a reality. `The new bill differed from the earlier Patman bills in that this bill called for the issuing of bonds in $50 denominations.... that could be redeemed on June 15 or held at 3-percent interest to maturity in 1945."

With the United States entry into, World War II, Congress introduced legislation to provide benefits for the men and women in the military. By the end of 1943, 243 bills on veterans legislation were pending before Congress. Amazingly beginning on December 15, 1943, a special committee of the American Legion drafted a rough version of veteran's legislation laying the groundwork for what eventually became the GI Bill of Rights. The bill was signed by President Roosevelt on June 22, 1944 and provided six benefits: education and training; loan guaranty for a home, farm or business; unemployment pay of $29 a week for up to fifty-two weeks; job-finding assistance; top priority for building materials for VA hospitals; and military review of dishonorable discharges.

The text ends stating "Millions of Americans have since peacefully marched on Washington in support of various causes, their way paved by the veterans of 1932." This book is excellently researched, well written and hopefully will place the bonus march in its proper place in American history.

If you went to college or bought a house on the GI Bill you can thank the Bonus Army, a ragtag group of WW I vets who converged on Washington, DC in 1932 demanding payment of their dollar a day bonus promised to them after years of political wrangling. They were called communists, criminals and freeloaders by the president and members of congress during the worst years of the depression. President Hoover used US troops commanded by General Douglas MacArthur to drive them out of the city and the American voters were so outraged the incident helped carry FDR to the White House that fall. It would still be several years before the bonus was paid but the saga of the bonus army paved the way for the GI Bill of Rights and provided a model for every mass protest held in the capital since.
Dickson and Allen provide a stirring narrative with an all star cast that includes Herbert Hoover, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Andrew Mellon, Dwight Eisenhower and J Edgar Hoover.
The Bonus Army has faded from view over time and this worthy book brings an important era in or history back into focus.

Allen and Dickson have written a very compelling book on the history of the Bonus Army, veterans from World War I who converged on Washington in 1932 and subsequent years to demand their promised payment known as the "bonus". The authors give us a good background as to who some of these veterans were, what conditions were like in the country during the years of the First World War and the next two decades after that, who some of the major players were in the debates and issues concerning the Bonus Army and their time in the nation's capital, and lastly how our nation would treat veterans of future wars.

This book details some of the men who made up the bonus army and where they came from in their move towards the nation's capital, with special emphasis on Walter Waters and his group of men from Portland and their journey eastwards. In addition to these Bonus marchers we learn of Pelham Glassford, the Washington D.C. Police Chief who oversaw the gathering veterans, citizens and groups who gave aid to the veterans on their journey to Washington and while they stayed in the city, politicians like Representative Wright Patman who became a leading advocate for the veterans in the halls of Congress, and of course other political and military figures who would play crucial roles in the issues and events surrounding the Bonus Army.

We also learn of how America perceived these veterans as they marched towards Washington and during their stay there. One of the constant worries of some in power at the time, those in the Hoover Administration, the Congress, and the military was the threat of communism, i.e. the Red Scare. Some believed many of these veterans weren't real veterans, believing many had criminal backgrounds and held communist views who wanted nothing less than to incite violence in the nation's capitol or even overthrow the U.S. Government. These worries were vastly over exaggerated as there were very few communists in this group of veterans, and those that were had little or no influence. These were loyal Americans who had fallen on hard times and needed and deserved some help from their government.

The events of the end of July 1932 have garnered the most attention and left the most indelible impressions on the minds of those who have any knowledge of the Bonus Army. This was when the military was called out to disperse the veterans who had encamped in vacant city buildings as well as the larger concentration of veterans who had gathered at sites like Camp Marks on the Anacostia River.The use of force to disperse the Bonus marchers became a damaging symbol that left a stain on the Hoover Administration as well as the reputation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur who had led the effort to rid the city of these veterans. The authors of this book are fair in spreading blame and correcting some myths that had developed after these events, for example there were not upwards of 100 casualties in this event, which is detailed in one of the appendices at the end of the book.

Even FDR did not support the bonus payment, but his veto was overridden by both houses of Congress in 1936, thus the bonus became a reality. But the real accomplishment, as the authors mentioned, was the piece of legislation known as the GI Bill passed in 1944, helping veterans from the Second World War to secure the needed and well-deserved assistance from the federal government to help them fit back into civilian life. As the authors believe, the Bonus Army of 1932 and those that followed had led the way in securing even greater promises for future veterans who deserved and still deserve the thanks from a grateful nation. Allen and Dickson are to be commended for writing this compelling and important book on an often all too summarized period in American history.

Dr. Brand's book can't help but leave the reader feeling as though they are disconnected with what is taking place around them. From a personal perspective, it's impossible to appreciate the complexity of performing even the most routine activities throughout the day. On a large scale, this book challenges all of us to consider what our obligations are to society as a whole, exposing what an isolated perspective most of us are able to maintain living in America. This is an excellent choice for anyone involved in a reading group.

I learned about the functions of the body in an easy to understand layman's discussion: that is, the skeleton, the skin, etc. He tells stories about people he has treated that exhibited some of the illnesses when these areas of the body do not work as they should. At the same time he relates this information on a spiritual realm. Although the book is not new, I liked the way he wrote and found it an easy way to learn about a lot of how my body works.

This is primarily a book about the human body and the startling complexity of what is under (and a part of) our skin. Four main areas of our bodies are discussed; the skin which holds us all in, our cells which make up an intrinsic little universe inside each human body, human bones and lastly motion. The insights into the physical human body are enough to make this book great for it shows that whoever or whatever created the human body was unfathomably intelligent. I prefer to believe that God was the designer and so this book causes me to be in awe of God, who I believe to be the creator of mankind. But for an atheist, this book would have to cause him or her to give great awe and respect toward chance. For if chance created our human bodies, it did one heck of a job. Though primarily about the physical human body, the authors are constantly making application to the spiritual body of Christ which, as the Bible tells us, is the entire group of people on earth who have believed in Jesus Christ. The Bible also makes a lot of comparisons between this strange group of people and the human body. Paul (one of the human authors of the Bible) tells us that God sees this group of people (I will refer to it as the church henceforth) like a human body, with many different parts, each part with a special function. In Yancey and Brand's book, they explore the different aspects of the human body and then show how these apply to the church. The analogies are insightful into how we as Christians are to function. In the introduction to the book Yancey writes, "In a sense, metaphorical symbols are the only way for us to grasp spiritual truths, which explains why the Bible uses them so lavishly... the human body expresses spiritual reality so authentically that soon the common stuff of matter will appear more and more like a mere shadow."

Yancey is a great author, and Brand is clearly a great doctor. The book is written as well as Yancey's other books and it is broken down into 25 short chapters. Each chapter has a specific point, and most chapters also offer an analogy about the church, the spiritual body of Christ. I read the book in 25 days, a chapter daily which was an excellent pace to be able to digest the book while still keeping it constantly fresh in my mind. I would recommend the book to any Christian eager to be astounded by the human body and the spiritual analogies that come from the mysteries of our physical bodies.

Note: This review refers to an additional book, "In His Image" by the same author that I consider a "companion" to this one.

In both these books the authors take us into the world of medicine as seen through spiritual eyes. The parallels between our own bodies and the Body of Christ are fascinating to say the least. Read, for example, how when one area of our physical body is injured an urgent call goes out and hundreds of thousands of cells respond by plugging the holes in the walls, protecting the weak, cleansing the area and rebuilding itself. Read also how the body responds when there is rebellion loose within it. The list includes the workings of: (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made) cells, bones, skin, motion, (In His Image) image, blood, head, spirit and pain.

The reading style is very relaxed and everything is explained simply so that you don't need a degree in chemistry to understand what's going on. A special bonus is Dr. Brand's focus on his life's work with lepers which is interwoven throughout both books. If you've got an interest in how the physical body works and how it relates to biblical concepts, get these books - you won't be disappointed. -- Moza

I highly recommend all of Dr. Brand's and Yancey's collaborative efforts. This one is fairly short and readable and the emphasis here is on the intricate workings of the human body, and what it suggests to us about how the Body of Christ works or should work. Just the chapter on the properties of bone is fascinating enough to warrant reading this book. The gift of movement, or the protection of our skin, is something we most likely take for granted. Dr. Brand will rob us of that conceit! He also gives examples from his groundbreaking work in treating leprosy to show just how precious a healthy body can be. The real message, however, is that God's design for his church is not accidental- just like a working body, it is intricate beauty, strength, and order in dynamic motion!

I didn't even buy this for myself--I got it for a friend as a gift. But I couldn't help but thumb through a few pages before wrapping it up and it's hilarious! It's full of truthful information concerning that wonderful president of ours and Dick Cheney. It also has questions about what reporters and journalists have said about George Dub-ya. I highly recommend this book, it's very funny and factual!!!

This book, with humor and wit, has a way of ripping the lid off a man who has lead the country into great despair. I wish this were published before he took office and handed to every church group, every republican gathering, maybe he wouldn't have been elected. Oh yeah, I forgot.. HE WASN'T. It's also great to read in jolts, like morning coffee. I bought ten copies and am giving them to all my friends.

This book is as funny as it is terrifying. Can you believe this man is running America? Can you believe this man declares war? Can you believe this man considers himself a torch of hope for the world's oppressed? For those who think that the end of the world has come fear not. The Book of Revelation in the BIble clearly states that the anti-Christ will be a 'handsome and well spoken man'. At least we're somewhat safe for now.

Though this book can be a bit cumbersome, (you have to turn the book upside-down after each question to read the correct answer) the answers will ASTOUND you. Read what came from Bush's own lips as he answered questions about Vietnam, his military service, and his many failed business ventures. But the one question that is truly sad and heartbreaking is as follows. It was asked by a grade school girl...

Q. Mr. Bush, what was your favorite book when you were a child?

A. I don't remember any books in particular.

Sleep well America.

A sample question from the book:

5) What did George W. Bush say was the difference between Americans and terrorists?

A) "They're evil, we're good."

B) "They're ugly, we're pretty."

C) "You can't really simplify it like that.There are just too many factors to be considered, too many different things that happen in people's lives for me to be so presumptuous as to make some sweeping generalization."

D) "They hate things, we love things."

ANSWER: D. To put it in context: "See, we love - we love freedom. That's what they didn't understand. They hate things; we love things. They act out of hatred; we don't seek revenge, we seek justice out of love."

It's embarrassing that this man is our President. BTW, the author has a web site called stampoutbush.com.

The George W Bush Quiz Book is a savagely funny biography of the man some people recognize as the president. The quiz format makes it palatable and participatory, while the unpleasant truths that are revealed drive home the message that we each need to do everything we can to get this smug ignoramus out of office. If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, this book is a Weapon of Mass Destruction against bully-boy Bush and his gang. Buy many copies of this book and give to everyone -- it's as good as donating to Kerry, but there's no legal limit.

In this remarkable book, Paul David Walker makes the case that effective leadership doesn't reside in management fads, convoluted models, or other similar "solutions." For Walker, true leaders are those who have embraced the challenge in Socrates' famous axiom "Know Thyself". For me, this book was about self-discovery, awakening to my own experience and seeing it and a new and empowering way. His approach helps produce the fundamental confidence that is the power source of any effective leader. I recommend this book very highly.

Paul Walker's "Unleashing Genius" provides a fascinating look "behind the curtain" of both the scientific foundations of genius and how to access it in ourselves. Paul generously shares his wisdom and experience while guiding a profound conversation around the intersection of business, genius and intuition.

David Brownstein, PCC, CPCC.
[...]

A must read book!!!!! This is an outstanding book and is a must read for CEOs and business leaders. It guides the reader in bringing reality and calmness when dealing with issues while thinking outside of the box. Sometimes fear and anxiety drive decisions, and Paul provides a step-by-step process backed by years of experience and 'sage' insight for handling pressing issues in a proactive manner. It is a very unusual thinker that can do that and "Unleashing Genius" Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations captures the essence of what causes us to do what we do and probes deeply into issues in a respectful and thoughtful approach that is easy to grasp.

Paul David Walker's Unleashing Genius was an "event of clarity" for me. Before this book, I had no idea just how much I was limited in my thinking--thus my potential. When your true potential is shown to you --as this book does so clearly, through the understanding of this universal life force we're all a part of--you tend to rise to a new level of thinking and existence. Thanks Paul for showing me the way to integrative presence!
--JD Buckwell

A good book that helps one towards a journey of Integrated Being, Intergrated Self, Integrated Living & Leading oneself, teams and corporations.

I feel very fortunate that I read Miryam Williamson's Blood Sugar Blues first on my search for insulin resistance. She was able to put together pieces of the health puzzle that even my doctor did not see. She is able to clearly convey a lot of complex metabolic issues so that everything starts to make sense. One of the best chapters is the one on choosing a low carbohydrate eating plan, in which she reviews five different plans, pros and cons. This saved me a lot of time and experimentation and was therefore successful from the start.

Miryam Williamson's book is well researched, well written and couldn't have come at a better time in my life. I've been suffering for years with unexplained body pain, headaches, blood sugar crashes, IBS ... the list goes on ad infinitum. Not until I read Blood Sugar Blues (in late February 2004) did I finally find answers to the mysteries of my health issues and can discuss this information with my health care professionals. Her comprehensive book details symptoms of insulin resistance (which I had never heard of) and clearly differentiates between Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I'm now adhering to a well-balanced, low carb diet and am feeling so much better. Shortly after changing my diet and living a far less driven life, I lost 14 pounds, am sleeping far better and the fatigue and body pain are barely noticeable. I'm convinced that I'm on the right track and will continue to improve.

This book is for both low carb newcomers and veterans alike. It covers the basics for the new folks while keeping us veterans engaged with lots of new little "nuggets," peices to the puzzle of why this way of eating improves health in so many ways. For me, reading books like this keep me motivated and on track. I probably have 30 low carb books, and this is one of my very favorites.

I'm 44 and I've been low carbing for 21 months.I have lost 80 lbs. through diet and exercise, and have reversed all of the following conditions: acne, leathery skin, overgrowth of moles, high blood pressure, painful legs and feet, anxiety, brain fog, PCOS, IBS, asthma, allergy to pollens and nuts, and heart palpitations. I feel like twenty years have been erased.

Miryam E. Williamson is a very intelligent and caring author as you will discover if you read her book. She is commited to this way of eating because it saved her as it as saved so many of us. Add this book to your library and enjoy.

Gave this to my neighbor and she has followed it with great results.

Miryam Williamson's "Blood Sugar Blues" is an excellent book for people who find themselves suffering from a multitude of health problems that are often difficult for mainstream doctors to diagnose.

Although insulin resistance is often the culprit, it is frequently overlooked by traditionally trained internists who, when all common blood and other testing comes back normal, don't understand the condition enough to explore it as the possible answer to their patients' complaints.

Williamson does an excellent job spelling out symptoms caused by insulin resistance-- which makes it easy for the reader to discern if this, in fact, is his or her problem. Her writing shows she has researched this condition thoroughly and understands how it can lead to severe illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cancer-- and she writes in such a way that her research is easy for the lay person to understand. While the book does provide a good bit of scientific information about disease processes, she has written a book that is highly accessible to most anyone who reads it.

She also clearly presents strategies for altering one's diet and lifestyle to reduce damage caused by systemic dysfunction that leads to the body losing its ability to produce, process, and use insulin the way it is supposed to. She offers concise advice for helping restore the body to its healthier state and offers a comparison of 5 different popular diets in a way that helps the reader choose which one may be best for him/her.

Williamson obviously believes that, with proper information and guidance, many of us can make changes in our lives that will help us feel better and ward off serious disease, and she does an excellent job passing along that hopefulness to her readers.

Finally, she provides lists of 'safe' foods for people suffering from insulin resistance and a number of simple and tasty recipes that incorporate foods in combinations that help relieve symptoms of the disorder. "Blood Sugar Blues" is a well-written and easily understood primer for anyone dealing with insulin resistance and the ills it can cause.

This book is refreshingly funny. My five year old daughter loves it, and I like the way it makes old stories new again. It's nice to introduce children to the idea that stories can be told differently, and this is one of those books you won't mind reading over and over.

"Bravest Ever Bear" is a clever spin from your ordinary fairy tale. It opens your child's mind up to realize there are different ways of telling a story and it also promotes children to write themselves. My six-year-old daughter laughs out loud at this book, even when she reads it for the 100th time. For my daughter, this book is magic.

We LOVED this book - What a wonder sense of humor this author has! It's great take off on some standard fables. Great for children between the ages of 4 & 7.

Don't let the title of the story fool you. This book is not only about a bear, but a princess, dragon, troll, wolf, penguin, sausage, pig, king, goldilocks, red riding hood and on and on. Each character decides they don't like the current story and write their own version instead. It's like getting 12 stories in one. This unconventional, but funny story will leave you a bit confused but thoroughly entertained.

The best thing about this book for me was the fact that I, as an adult, could enjoy it as much as the children. It is totally different to any other children's book I have read. I found it to be witty, charming, and imaginative.

The story sounds like something thought up by a parent and young child, with ideas from both, and some teasing from the parent. Altogether a great read, and something I would definitely reccommend to young readers

This is a funny book. I love where the pancake turn into hats and wheels and they all come back in a big mess.

"The Great Pancake Escape" is an adventure story about magical fleeing flapjacks. This adventure starts on an ordinary day when three kids wait patiently for their father to perform the usual kitchen magic. As he juggles milk and flour and tosses ingredients into a bowl, his kids notice he is using the "wrong book."

Suddenly, amidst smoke and fire, the pancake batter leaps into the pan and the pancakes start to make themselves. This might sound like a good idea until they start to hiss, leap and hop. Then the kids shout "Watch out, Pop!"

In a "gingerbread boy" fashion, the pancakes leap onto their edges and roll out the door.

"We couldn't cry out "murder!" Yelling "Fire" would be rash. So we loudly bellowed "Pancakes!" then took off at a dash."

Soon, all three children notice that the pancakes have replaced wheels, a steering wheel, the traffic lights and even a manhole cover on the city street. This almost seems normal when compared to a few pages later when it is raining "syrup." I love when the pancakes turn into umbrellas. The kid in me loves the idea of the rain being made out of maple syrup. What a delicious idea and half the picture looks like it jumped right out of an art gallery. Scott Goto uses interesting perspectives. As a reader, you really feel that you are being pulled right into the story.

Finally, the children return home and after showing their "magician" father that he used the wrong book, they manage to call back all the pancakes. The only problem is that the pancakes turn back into batter.

Younger children will enjoy finding the "cute bunny rabbit" in each scene and looking for "circle" shapes. The art is stunning, imaginative and quite impressive. Each time you read the story, you see something new.

The entire story teaches children that even if you don't succeed at what you first started, you can always make waffles. Life is a recipe that might change at any moment, so they should be prepared to adapt to new situations. The children do however work together to retrieve the pancakes and therefore did persist in their mission until the end. The children didn't whine or cry about their lost breakfast, they just took charge and fixed waffles.

Paul Many has been making pancakes from the time he was ten years old. He was known for making pancakes with chocolate and raisins. Now he enjoys making blueberry pancakes.

Kids will probably want to make pancakes after you read this book, so look for " Maple Grove Breakfast in a Crate" right here at Amazon. If you are looking for a wonderful gift, you could include this book in a gift basket.

I'm going to go make waffles
with maple syrup and whipped cream!

~The "now hungry" RebeccaReview.com

Just a note to let readers know that the Los Angeles Times has named this wonderful book as one (of only nine) of the "Best Children's Books of 2002."

It should have been another dull yawning in the dawning, slapping ingredients together for a hurried breakkie. Instead, Dad reads from the wrong recipe book, & all of a sudden Ka-BLAM! - batter is sizzling & pancakes are wriggling - off the kids' plates, through the house, out the door!

If the kids want their breakfast they're going to have to chase off after it - through town where the stampeding pancakes have glomped onto taxi wheels, skipped over ponds & tumbled mailmen!

THE GREAT PANCAKE ESCAPE is written in rhyming verse, & is a rollicking read with all the ingredients for a tasty feast of words.

Fun reading & laughing for the whole family & Scott Goto's lively illustrations are the maple syrup!

"Our dad is a magician,/who can make a bird go poof,/but the day he cooked us pancakes,/he made an awful goof..." Poor Dad was working from the wrong book. He'd picked up his book of magic tricks instead of the cookbook and "Ka-Blam", everything went crazy. The bowl spun round and round, the batter jumped into the pan all by itself, and the pancakes leaped off the griddle and rolled out the door. "Where did they go?" cried little Ned./Louise had teary eyes./"Now don't be sad," I told them both./"Well catch those sneaky guys!" But the task turns out to be a lot harder than they thought, until the kids begin to notice that everything round...bus, car, even rollerskate wheels, manhole covers, traffic lights, frisbees... had turned to pancakes. And when those errant hotcakes take flight the kids rush back home and finally solve the problem in an ingeniously unique way..... Paul Many's manic, rhyming text is full of energy, rhythm, and motion, and complemented by Scott Goto's engaging, bold, busy, and colorful artwork. Each two page spread is jam-packed with clever, eye-catching details, that pulls the reader into the story and right along on the chase to save breakfast. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Great Pancake Escape is a rip-roarin', hilarious, crowd pleaser that begs to be read aloud, and a soon-to-be favorite at your house.

This is a beautiful book with a nice story. I purchased one for my son, but after seeing what a nice book it was, ordered a 2nd to give as a gift.

Every year I buy each of my children a special book for their birthday. I look for a beautiful story. If the story happens to have beautiful pictures to go with it,that is the icing on the cake.
The Animal Hedge has both a beautiful story and beautiful illustrations. This is a book that will have more meaning to a child as he or she grows older.
There are a handful of books that we will save for our children, and this is one of them.

The Animal Hedge is a beautiful children's book with quietly amazing illustrations done in watercolor and gouache. The story tells of a farmer with three sons who endures the loss of his beloved animals and farm due to drought. He maintains himself as best he can, sharpening tools. He remembers the different dreams and abilities of his three sons when it comes time for them to choose their professions. When they each ask what trade they should choose, he tells them to watch the hedge that surrounds their tiny cottage, for its shape will give a powerful clue to the best vocation for each young man. Amazingly, wondrous shapes arise from the humble hedge to direct the sons in their vocations. The eldest sees a coach and becomes a coachman; the second sees a mystic ship and becomes a sailor, while the youngest sees a fiddler, always his dream, and he decides to become a fiddler. But most wonderful of all is the love and the vision of the farmer for his sons' futures. After they all leave and become successful in their chosen vocations, he is lonely and shapes his hedge in the forms of all the animals he had loved when he had his farm. Then all the sons come home and find that it was not nature alone , but their father's trimming of the hedge that had shown them the desires that lay in their hearts. Excited, they see the many animals he has shaped from the shrubs in his loneliness. They put their resources together and return to give their father the animals he has missed; chickens, pigs, and cows. Upon seeing this, "The farmer's heart glowed like a hot wood stove. And he made up his mind to let the hedge grow back just as it pleased."

This beautiful and healing tale of love between father and sons is further underscored by the muted colors and patchwork placements of the American folk art-influenced illustrations. Perhaps the most striking quality which might be encouraged by the telling of this story is faith in the dreams of youth, faith which endures and survives hardship and privation, faith which does not require youth to remold itself in the cast of the past, a faith which sets them free to follow their hearts, just as the father has done. This is a lovely children's book, very appropriate for preschool to kindergarten age levels. It is sure to be treasured by child and parent alike.

Readers will have a hard time believing Bagram Ibatoulline's folk art illustrations were recently done in watercolor and gouache and are not true 19th c. folk art paintings. With their aged look and timeless quality, these incredible illustrations alone would make The Animal Hedge worth its price.

Fortunately, you will get even more than you bargained for since Paul Fleischman has written a wonderful and touching story. While the tale begins on a bit of a sad note when a farmer and his sons are forced from their land because of a drought, the tone is certainly changed when the rains begin to fall again and a magical hedge begins to show the three sons how to live happy and productive lives. The sweet ending will warm your heart.

A wonderful father/son story with a fantastical touch.

Paul Dickson has done it again! Here's a book that all baseball fans will love, even those modest folk who know everything there is to know about the game. "The Hidden Language of Baseball" is the book to read -- after you make it a most valuable gift to your kids, who have often asked you (as if you knew) what those goofy and not-so goofy signs mean, who dreamed them up and how come the other team doesn't steal them, which, of course, they try their darndest to do. Paul Dickson takes the reader through baseball sign language from its very earliest recorded years to the wild and wooly "Golden Age" of flagrantly outrageous stealing and to today's signing in full view of the ever-improving intrusiveness of high-tech TV lenses. The book is full of wonderful anecdotes - a Dizzy Dean classic will have you roaring with delight. Like "The Dickson Baseball Dictionary", this book is a must for baseball fans of all ages.

During any given nine-inning baseball game over a thousand silent instructions are given between players and from umpires to coaches. You've seen the hand signals - now understand their meaning in the first examination of their history, evolution and methods. Baseball games are surveyed past and present to gain a fine chronology of player signals.

A short but thorough history of baseball as seen through the development of signs, sign stealing and tip-off reading. Includes some delightful photographs, numerous anotations, a lengthy bibliography and index. Paul Dickson's approach to baseball makes me wonder if the recent homerun records aren't more a case for renewed talent in sign stealing / tip-off reading than for new technology for bats or performance inhancing drugs.

Forget the simple theory that Bobby Thomson benefitted from a stolen sign when he hit the historic homer off Ralph Branca in 1951. Dickson gives us the real story--a much more colorful and fascinating peek at baseball's most memorable moment. That's just one of many new and interesting facts and anecdotes in this first-of-its kind book. I've written baseball books myself and I tip my hat to this one.

I enjoyed this book so much. Coincidently I finished it just before seeing a ceremony in honor of Roberto Clemente with his widow Vera present at the 2006 MLB All-Star game. From reading this book I understand why the word "Pride" is always used when discussing Roberto Clemente. This book carres the theme of Roberto's pride from beginning to end. Pride not only in himself but in his family and country. Many may say this is not a book about baseball, but those who know the magic of baseball understand that you can't seperate the game from the players. It is the great person in the player that makes the game of baseball so wonderful. Roberto was a great baseball player and an even greater man. Puerto Rico should feel honored in having him as one of their native sons.

My 12-yr old son read this book for a report.
He didn't complain too much and finished pretty quickly so I guess he liked it.

He palyed for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the youngest in his family, just like me. His dad made alot of money compared to the others that lived around them. Roberto rode his bike to another town to try out for a softball team. It was only a couple of miles from his home. His school was trying to teach him to speak English, and he didn't do very good, but he tried.

It was so good that when I received it, I could not put it down till the end. That night I went to bed at 4:33AM. Mr.Robert Walker, 2 thumbs up to a well documented piece of art. Again THANK YOU for this biography.